KAMPALA – The Makidye based General Court Martial has on Tuesday, February 4, released on bail four persons who are facing charges of aiding and abetting kidnaps of Rwandan refugees together with the former IGP Kale Kayihura.
The group appeared before a panel of seven members led by Lt Gen Andrew Gutti two years later who has granted them a non-cash bail of Shs10million and their sureties a bond of Shs20million.
Gutti also directed the suspects not to go beyond Wakiso and Kampala districts without the permission of the court and that they should appear before the registrar every after 14 days and whenever they are required in court.
The suspects include Former Deputy Commandant of Professional Standards Unit of Police Senior Superintendent of Police, Richard Ndaboine, Assistant Superintendent of Police Patrick Muramira, Assistant Superintendent of Police Jonas Ayebaza and Detective Constable Abel Kitagenda all from the Flying Squad Unit of Police.
“The offences against the applicants are bailable and the same court has the discretion to grant bail after finding the sureties presented substantial. The applicants have proved that their places of aboard are permanent and thus qualify to be granted bail,” Gutti ruled.
Through their lawyer Elizabeth Namisingwa the four presented a number of grounds including that they have never had any criminal record and it was their constitutional right to be released on bail pending the hearing of the main case.
The prosecution alleges that the accused persons issued guns to a group of unauthorized groups of people including Boda Boda 2010 led by Abdullah Kitatta, kidnapped and illegally repatriated a one Jackson Kalemera and Lt Joel Mutabazi the former Bodyguard of Rwandan President Paul Kagame who was in Uganda to seek refuge.
It is further alleged that Mutabazi was on September 25, 2013, reportedly kidnapped from Kamengo in Mpigi District and forcefully taken to Rwanda by the accused persons from where he was charged with a number of offenses related to terrorism, murder, spreading rumors with intentions to incite the public to rise against Kagame’s government among others.
Court documents indicate that he was stripped of his military ranks and handed a life sentence by the Military Court in Rwanda.
The accused persons who are also facing similar charges with ten others have since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The ten are former IGP Kale Kayihura, Former head of the Special Operations Unit Nixon Agasirwe, former Director Crime Intelligence Col Atwooki Ndahura, former Commandant of Police Professional Standards Unit, Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma, former Flying Squad Commander Herbert Muhangi, ASP James Magadda.
Others are, Faisal Katende an operative from Flying Squad Unit of Police, Sgt Abel Tumukunde also of Flying Squad, Rwandan National Rene Rutagungira who was released recently after the DPP withdrew charges against him and Bahati Mugenga a Congolese National.
